Trump shutdown is all hot air and running out of gas

No politician pinned by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer can credibly claim to be a master of “The Art of the Deal.” With his partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump has painted himself into a corner the incoming House Speaker and Senate Minority Leader have no reason to help him escape.

Trump’s shutdown — now in its 13th day — is all about his most ridiculous campaign promise — building a wall along the southern border to keep out “Mexican murderers, rapists and drug dealers.” Candidate Trump swore Mexico would pay for the wall. President Trump shut down the government to force American taxpayers to fund the wall. Trump made a preposterous promise and now wants us all to pay the price. Why Trump voters aren’t up in arms is a mystery as confounding as how this shameless con man won the White House.

Multiple polls show at least 70 percent of Americans don’t want to pay for the wall. For all their faults, Chuck and Nancy can count. The only wall they want to build is around Trump. Like a bad gambler betting the farm on a losing hand, Trump can’t bluff the House. He will eventually fold, but the economy and millions of federal workers who aren’t getting paychecks will be hurt in service to his tough-guy posturing.

Trump’s Wall will never be built. Mexico will never pay for anything he wants. The president’s immeasurable hubris and limitless ignorance are worthless on the world stage. Money talks. Trump does, too, but nothing he says has any real value beyond stirring up a base that seems willing to believe anything as long as Trump says it.